What I Eat at USC Dining Halls in a Week!

By: Kristen Adams ‘25

At USC, you can choose from three different dining halls: EVK, the Village, and Parkside. There are pros and cons to each dining hall, though it is important to note that the ratings and opinions about each dining hall and the food they offer are subjective; every eater has different preferences! Below is a quick rundown and analysis of each dining hall, mainly taking location and variety into consideration. Following the rundown is a picture gallery of all the meals I’ve eaten from the dining halls in the past week. Enjoy!

Parkside

In general, it is commonly agreed that Parkside has the best food options, and it is particularly known for its wide range of international cuisine. However, while Parkside may have the tastiest food, it is the farthest from the rest of the campus, sitting in what is known as “Parkside Darkside.” While the Parkside Dining Hall is extremely convenient for Parkside residents, it is unfortunately not so convenient for those living anywhere else.

Another significant disadvantage to Parkside is its absence of breakfast; if Parkside residents wanted to get breakfast, they would have had to look elsewhere for a meal. However, starting October 25, USC Hospitality announced that Parkside will begin to serve breakfast, which will greatly affect Parkside residents who previously had to either skip breakfast entirely or trek to the Village or EVK just to get some scrambled eggs before class.

EVK (Everybody’s Kitchen)

In general, EVK has been viewed as the worst dining hall of the three due to its lack of options. EVK has a salad bar, as does every other dining hall, but EVK’s other options, particularly its hot meal options, are limited to a single table. However, while EVK has so few options, EVK does have a fairly delicious (though limited again) array of pastry options. EVK also sits in a very convenient spot for freshmen living at Birnkrant, New North, Pardee, and Marks.

One disadvantage to EVK is that it is closed on Saturdays, meaning freshmen living near EVK must venture out to other dining spots for Saturday meals. However, this may not be too bad of a situation since the Ronald Tutor Campus Center sits relatively nearby. RTCC now offers alternate dining options other than the dining halls, but after a while, getting the same Verde bowl each week can get a little tiring.

The Village

The Village Dining Hall is sometimes considered the best dining hall due to the fact that it offers a multitude of options, including a salad bar, two different areas with hot meal options, a spot to make sandwiches, and a dessert area. Location-wise, it is extremely convenient for those living in McCarthy, Webb, and in the Village, and because the Village has multiple entrances, it can even be a somewhat close option for those living at Birnkrant, New North, and Pardee as well. Plus, the best part about the Village Dining Hall is that it is open every day of the week.

One disadvantage about the Village Dining Hall is that it sometimes offers the same food too often, which is a common problem that other dining halls suffer from as well.

Photo Gallery

Here comes my favorite part: the food! Below are real, unedited pictures of meals that I have had in one week at USC. Quick disclaimer: the majority of the pictures are from the Village Dining Hall, since it is my dining hall of choice. Enjoy!

Lunch at EVK! The options were certainly limited that day, and the meat was incredibly dry. However, the fruit options were delicious, and the pastry selection was very extensive. The pineapple was fresh, and the mini apple pastry was my favorite part of the meal. The smoothie was also good, if just a bit too chunky.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Breakfast at the Village! I wasn’t too hungry that day, but I made myself a healthy and tasty yogurt bowl with fruit and granola. I also grabbed some pastries and bread alongside my yogurt. The pastries were alright, if a bit dry, but my yogurt was mouth-watering and delicious! The fruit was very fresh, and I enjoyed my breakfast thoroughly that day.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Lunch at Parkside! Like most days, the options were incredibly varied, with American cuisine, Asian cuisine, and tons of fruits, veggies, meat, and cookies to choose from. I got a Korean chicken bowl, which I had been craving for so long, alongside curly fries, grapes, and a healthy side salad. Every single item was so delicious, and it was easily the most satisfying meal I had that week. The grapes were fresh, the curly fries were mouth-watering, and the Korean chicken bowl was so tasty!

Overall Rating: 5/5

Dinner at the Village! That day the Village had really tasty noodles and pork, which fresh ingredients and toppings to choose from. I packed my soup with bean spouts, green onions, carrots, pieces of ginger, and soy sauce. A spicy soup base was also offered, but I wasn’t feeling too adventurous that day. I thoroughly enjoyed my warm bowl of noodle soup!

Overall Rating: 5/5

Lunch at the Village! That day the Village had a nachos bowl that you could customize, which was something that I had been longing for a while! I packed my bowl up with chips, tomatoes, sour cream, olives, green onions, and beef (hidden somewhere in my pool of sour cream). The chips were crispy, the sour cream was flavorful, and the bowl as a whole was just what I needed that day.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Dinner at the Village! Fish and chips were served that day, alongside fries and pickles. The fish had little flavor and day, and was not too appetizing. The coleslaw was a little warm too. The fries and pickles, however, were delicious! The fries were crispy and the pickles were just the right amount of sourness.

Overall Rating: 2/5

Dinner at the Village! Chicken wings were served that, which was incredibly exciting because I am a huge fan of wings. My favorite seasoning is lemon pepper, so I grabbed four of those along with some vegetables and ranch. The chicken wings were perfectly moist and delicious! I also grabbed a tofu bowl with ginger, cucumbers, carrots, and vegetables, and it was honestly a bit too spicy for my liking. The tofu had a somewhat weird flavoring to them, and the lettuce didn’t taste or look too fresh that day. The chicken wings ultimately saved this dinner from disaster.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Dinner at EVK! After a long day of class, I came to EVK in hopes of finding a relatively yummy meal. I did not find it that day. The pasta had a weird flavor, and the mushrooms did not taste like mushrooms. The Korean beef bowl, however, was relatively tasty, if not a bit dry. The fruit, however, saved this meal, as the pineapple was incredibly fresh and yummy.

Overall Rating: 1/5

Reflection

After a week of having a range of delicious and mediocre meals at the dining halls at USC, I can conclude with confidence that you will not go hungry during your time at USC! While some dining halls have better days than others, they tend to have something for everyone, no matter what your favorite cuisine is. Being able to go to a dining hall with a group of friends or even by yourself is honestly a fun and essential college experience. 

Upon reflection, my favorite dining hall to go to the Village Dining Hall for a multitude of factors: location, variety, and flavor. I tend to have the tastiest and most satisfying meals when I am at the Village, and it tends to be the most consistent, unlike EVK, which isn’t always guaranteed to have something that I will like. Parkside, while it has its great food and variety of options, is just too far for non-Parkside residents. If it was only closer, perhaps it would overtake the Village as my top dining hall. In the meantime, the Village is the optimal place to eat for a meal swipe.

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